Long Thanh Airport Passenger Fees Set: ACV, HVN, VJC Impact

Overview

The Ministry of Construction has issued the passenger service fee schedule for Long Thanh International Airport, Vietnam’s largest planned aviation project, effective October 1, 2026. The pricing matters directly for Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the UPCOM-listed operator of the country’s airport network, and sets the cost baseline for carriers Vietnam Airlines (HVN) and Vietjet (VJC) as they prepare to shift capacity to the new hub.

Key Facts

• Domestic passenger service fee: VND 90,909 per passenger; international passenger fee: USD 25 per passenger, both excluding VAT.
• The decision takes effect October 1, 2026, applying to tickets issued from 00:00 local time at the point of sale.
• Long Thanh’s international fee matches Nội Bài at USD 25 but is USD 5 higher than Tân Sơn Nhất.
• Domestic fees at Nội Bài, Tân Sơn Nhất and Long Thanh are now aligned at VND 90,909 per passenger.
• Phase one capacity: 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo per year, with commercial operations targeted from December 1.
• Vietnam Airlines has proposed moving four international routes from Hồ Chí Minh City to Long Thanh: Đại Hưng (Beijing), Hong Kong, Bạch Vân (Guangzhou) and Manila.
• Vietjet committed to at least two international routes; Vietravel Airlines plans commercial operations from late this year, scaling up from the Summer 2027 schedule; 34 foreign carriers have held working sessions on Long Thanh operations.

What Happened

The Ministry of Construction issued a decision setting passenger service prices for Cảng hàng không quốc tế Long Thành in Đồng Nai province. Domestic departing passengers will be charged VND 90,909 each and international departing passengers USD 25 each, with both figures exclusive of value-added tax. The ministry specified that the fee applies to tickets issued from 0:00 on October 1, 2026, calculated by local time where the ticket is sold.

The decision also addresses flights originally ticketed from Tân Sơn Nhất that are later relocated to depart from Long Thanh. In those cases, the Tân Sơn Nhất fee at the time of ticketing applies, with no additional collection or refund of the difference. Separately, ACV has reported receiving operating registrations for Long Thanh from multiple domestic airlines, and representatives of 34 foreign carriers have surveyed and discussed operating plans ahead of the airport’s expected entry into service late this year.

Market Context

ACV trades on UPCOM and closed at VND 39,100 on September 29, 2026. Vietnam Airlines (HVN) closed at VND 21,100 the same day, while Vietjet (VJC) closed at VND 134 on September 30 with volume of 402,100 shares. The fee announcement lands as Vietnam’s aviation infrastructure build-out accelerates, with Long Thanh positioned as the flagship project intended to relieve congestion at Tân Sơn Nhất and lift the country’s international transit capacity.

Strategic Significance

For ACV, the fee schedule converts Long Thanh from a construction story into a revenue-generating asset with a defined tariff, and the parity with Nội Bài on international fees signals the state intends Long Thanh to compete at the top of the airport system rather than discount for traffic. The USD 5 premium over Tân Sơn Nhất gives ACV a higher-yield international passenger base once carriers migrate. For HVN and VJC, the fee is a direct input cost that will be passed into ticket pricing, and the route-relocation proposals show the airlines are already planning network shifts rather than treating Long Thanh as incremental capacity.

What to Watch

• Confirmation of the December 1 commercial operations start date and any slippage in the first-phase timeline.
• Formal route-transfer approvals for Vietnam Airlines’ four proposed international routes and Vietjet’s minimum two international routes.
• ACV’s next financial disclosure for initial Long Thanh revenue recognition and any capital expenditure updates.
• Foreign carrier commitments converting from the 34 surveyed airlines into signed slot and operating agreements.
• Any adjustment to the fee schedule or VAT treatment before the October 1, 2026 effective date.